Plus, NSO Group was ordered to pay Meta millions
The Neuralink implant in this patient’s brain gets a boost thanks to generative AI.
In November last year, Bradford G. Smith received a brain-implant from Elon Muskās company Neuralink. The device, which is a set thin wires connected to a tiny computer that sits inside his skull, allows him to use his thoughts to control a computer cursor on a screen. Last week, he was ready for the reveal in a X post.
Smith is attracting attention because he not only communicates via a brain-implant but also gets help from Grok Musk’s AI chatbot. The generative AI increases his ability to communicate but also raises the question of who is actually talking, Musk’s software or him. Read the full article.
-Antonio gifted.
MIT Technology Review: How Trump’s Tariffs could drive up costs of batteries, EVs and more.
Trump’s hostile trade policies threaten to slow down the shift to cleaner industries and stall the economic.
We’re publishing this story every week as a MIT Technology Review narrated podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Follow us on either platform and navigate to MIT Technology Review to receive all of our new content.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
The Israeli firm Meta has been ordered by 1 NSO Group to pay $167 million
after its spyware was used against journalists, activists and politicians. (NYT $)
+ This firm has been implicated before in abusive surveillance. Reuters
OpenAI plans on reducing the share of revenue Microsoft receives from OpenAI
The firm told investors that it planned to reduce the shared revenue by 20% to 10%. (The Information $)
+ The for-profit U turn is not yet finalized. (Bloomberg $)+ We still don’t have a good understanding of OpenAI’s organization. The Energy Star program is being axed by the Trump administration
This project certifies energy efficiency in home appliances. (WP $)
4 The US Justice Department wants Google’s ad business to be sold
but Google says it is not technically feasible. (WSJ $)
+ According to the judge, he will rule on remedies by August. The Information ($)
Five Grok AI models are undressing women in X
This is what happens when AI models are created without guardrails. (404 Media )
+ Text to image AI models can be manipulated into generating nude pictures. MIT Technology Review
Six private investors are willing to invest billions in Europe’s defence industry
to fill the gaps that governments cannot fund. (FT$)
+ It is expected that the US will strike a weapons agreement in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia next week. Traffic lights
and The second phase of military AI is here. MIT Technology Review
Can anyone stop Starlink 7?
Its total dominance in the satellite sector is unprecedented. (The Atlantic$)
+ Space could be the next big environmental issue. MIT Technology Review
Amazon’s new robotic arm has a touch sense
to help it pick up items in the ecommerce giant’s warehouses. The Guardian (19459039)
and The Vulcan Robot could be a major player in manufacturing in the future. Will we ever be able to trust robots? MIT Technology Review
9 Argentina invests heavily in nuclear-powered AI Data Centers
to attract big tech companies from overseas. Rest of World (19459039)
and The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine is still not operational. IEEE Spectrum
China built hundreds AI data centers in order to take advantage of the AI boom. Many of these data centers are now unused. MIT Technology Review
10 RIP prompt Engineering
Currently, the hottest job in 2023 is rapidly fading. Fast Company($)
Today’s Quote
I think upper class homes will be able have something that makes Roomba look a joke.
–Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian, reports Insider .
Just one more thing
It is well known that animal studies are not very good at identifying treatments for humans. Approximately 95% of drugs developed by animal research do not work in humans, but there was no alternative until recently.
Microphysiological systems or organs on chips may be a viable alternative. These are bioengineering marvels, intricate constructions with tiny channels lined with living human tissue that expands and contracts with the flow of air and fluid, simulating key organ functions such as breathing, blood circulation, and peristalsis – the muscular contractions in the digestive system. It’s still early days, but organs on chips may solve one of today’s biggest medical problems if they perform as expected. Read the complete story.
–Harriet Brown.
You can still enjoy nice things.
A place to find comfort, fun, and distraction. (Do you have any ideas? Drop a line to me or skeet them at me
If you liked the theme of this year’s Met Gala, check out this fascinating art history of the Black dapper.
2025 is shaping as a great literary year
– The good news is GTA VI has a release date, but it’s still over a year off.
+ Breakfast chocolate pie ? I could be convinced.
